


speak to all the congregation

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Series: and love will be your teacher [17]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: :)))))), BECAUSE ITS WHAT HE DESERVES OKAY, Gen, Lots of plot, Order of the White Lotus, Plot, Uh just realized Zuko definitely has ptsd whoops, Zuko impresses people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21675298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: Zuko makes a gamble.Iroh drinks tea.And finally, The Plan is revealed with a capitol P.
Series: and love will be your teacher [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1511504
Comments: 30
Kudos: 963
Collections: Finished111





	speak to all the congregation

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second to last installment. I actually have a few more written BUT I have details I need to plot out first before I do anything with them :P

Zuko was asleep. Or he was attempting too. The waves rocked the boat gently, lulling the others into a peaceful sleep. They’d docked just a few days ago in the port of some very quiet, very small fire nation village. He didn’t know precisely where and he didn’t particularly care. Iroh had returned and Zuko didn’t have to worry about what they were going to do anymore. His father had it all in hand.

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

Zuko sighed, opening his eyes. One week ago, Iroh had happened upon them on Ember Island. Apparently Captain Wan, the most nervous fire nation soldier he had ever met, had rescued Iroh and hidden him away until he’d recovered. From there, Iroh had been pulling strings. Of what, Zuko didn’t know. He knew whatever his father had done was the reason he’d been found.

Zuko's brows furrowed, the same urge that had driven him to attend a war meeting with Iroh was tugging at him now. He’d had seven days on the small ship Captain Wan had commissioned to go slowly crazy.

A knock at the door startled him. He sat up, eyes wide.

Another knock and he cleared his throat, "Come in?"

Captain Wan opened the door, bowing low, "Prince Zuko, Fire Lord Iroh wishes to speak with you."

It was the dead of night. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee were undoubtedly deep asleep in their own quarters. Why did father want to see him now? Trying to calm his suddenly pounding heart, fueled by the paranoia of having yet another soldier at his door, he stood, "Alright, just... just give me a bit."

Captain Wan nodded, bowing again and closing the door.

Zuko couldn’t help but snort, rolling his eyes as he quickly dressed. Captain Wan, not only chronically nervous and sometimes silly, was eternally formal- as if afraid one slip up of title would end his life.  _Ozai_ might’ve done so. But Iroh wouldn’t.

He hadn’t realized how unused he was to the formalities of court life after their month and a half of doing whatever they wanted.

Zuko opened the door and, nodding at Captain Wan- who bowed  _again_ , he followed him down the ship's corridors. His heart lodged in his throat as they walked up the stairs, across the deck, and down the lowered gangplank.

Zuko stiffened, sweat beading on his forehead.

It was a very dark night.

They walked across the empty, deserted docks. Zuko swallowed, mentally preparing for a fight, fists clenched.

They trooped up a hill, to a small clean house on the outskirts of the town, windows brightly lit, looking warm and yellow. Captain Wan knocked carefully at the door. It opened a crack, an unfamiliar old man glanced between them, large dark storm cloud brows furrowed.

The door clicked shut and then, the lock disengaging, opened wide. Captain Wan stood aside, bowing, "Prince Zuko."

Zuko nodded and entered the house, still on edge.

A group of old men sat around a small worn kitchen table. A scratched pai sho board with a white lotus tile squarely in the center was the only thing on the table besides several steaming teacups. The men ranged from middle aged, to very old, to positively ancient. Iroh sat at the head of the table, sipping a cup of tea and looking like the king of a very small and rather wizened kingdom. They all stared at his entrance, looking either very unimpressed or completely disconcerted.

Iroh's eyes twinkled, "Ah, Prince Zuko. Can you keep a secret?"

Zuko blinked, voice cautious as he questioned, "Uh, father?"

Iroh waved his hands, "I know you can. I’m merely asking for posterity."

Zuko looked between him and the men, and the pai sho board on the small table. Zuko's eyes flicked upwards and he cleared his throat cautiously, a feeling of unease and growing certainty crawling up his spine. Iroh somehow had known exactly where to find them. He remembered the kind old man on ember island who's eyes had trailed after him, the pai sho board, the ancient way of playing, the old man's uneasiness, and his strange question, posed as a causal inquiry but phrased almost underhandedly.

Zuko licked his lips, tentatively stumbling over the strange words he barely recollected, "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways?"

A man choked on his tea. Iroh stared before his lips curled upwards as he spoke a just as convoluted response, "Those who do can always find a friend."

Zuko eyed them before crossing his arms, relaxing just a little, "I didn’t tell anyone about your secret pai sho club. I think I can keep a secret."

These old men didn’t need to know that he’d just made a complete gamble and he’d had no idea father had been part of some weird secret society. Iroh's knowing glance, however, was another matter. Iroh knew that had been a guess, but then again, Iroh tended to have a habit of knowing a good deal about things other people thought he didn’t.

A man with a dark beard rose from his seat, eyes kind and firm all at once, half bowing in a gesture of respect, "Prince Zuko, welcome to the Order of the White Lotus."

* * *

Much later, Zuko sat on the old rusted ship Iroh had managed to use to smuggle himself out of the capitol with Captain Wan's help. His feet hung over the side, dangling over cold blue waves capped with frothy foam. The clouds had dispersed and the stars shone against the ocean, against La, Tui dark against the night sky.

Iroh stood beside him. Zuko glanced up, "Why didn’t you tell me about this secret order?"

Iroh sighed gently, "I'm afraid that I am far too old to sit down beside you, Zuko. My bones are not what they used to be."

Zuko pushed himself to his feet and Iroh nodded, "Walk with me?"

The prince stood close by his father and followed him as they began to pace the length of the ship. Iroh sighed, "I had hoped you would pick up the mantle of the White Lotus long after I was gone.” He smiled gently, "We are, as you can tell, mostly old men who prefer the peace of pai sho over any other hobby."

Zuko snorted, "And you also collect and preserve vast amounts of information spanning across the entirety of the four nations. Father, just old men playing pai sho is a massive understatement." He huffed, almost pouting, "It just would have been nice to be informed."

Iroh smiled, "I will do my best to keep you in the loop better, Prince Zuko."

Zuko nodded, "And the plan?"

Iroh blinked, "The resistance idea Master Piandao proposed? What do you think of it?"

Zuko crossed his arms, "Its sensible. Building up a rebellion movement, coordinating supply runs and recruiting people. But for what?"

Iroh nodded, "In several years there will be an eclipse. The Fire Nation keeps track of the movements and predictions of celestial bodies just for this purpose. That is a tentative date for a possible invasion." Iroh sighed, "I do not like the idea of such a plan. History will see it as more petty politics, brother fighting against brother. Besides that, I do not believe  I can restore balance to the world. It is fated against us, no matter what we do. Any efforts made no matter how noble and good will turn to evil and rot from within."

Zuko stopped, swallowing nervously, "The Avatar is supposed do it. The avatar would restore balance to the world."

Iroh seemed pleased, "Yes,  only the avatar can. Unfortunately, finding the avatar is a hopeless quest, my son."

Zuko folded his arms, thinking deeply before finally deciding, "What if _I_ can?"

"Do you know where he is?"

"Well, no, but I  know I’m supposed to find him." He straightened, preparing himself to defend this quest. He knew he had to do it, "I  _have_ to be the one to find him."

Iroh did not dismiss him, as others would have done, something strange in his eyes. Instead, he chuckled, "I believe you, Prince Zuko. No need to prepare yourself for a fight. I just want to know, why do you think so?"

Zuko shrugged, "I've been having.... dreams. Dreams about dragons and the sun, and- and the avatar. I used to dream I was in the darkness surrounded by fire but lately after I- after I made my choice, I’ve been in a strange swamp with- with clear water and strange glowing flies-“

Iroh put a hand on his shoulder, "A swamp?" 

Zuko nodded. 

"With huge brown trees and branches that sometimes vanish?" 

Zuko nodded vigorously, "And the dragons will approach me and tell me to find the avatar! They say it’s what I’m supposed to do!" He huffed, "I know it sounds childish, to be doing what  _dreams_ tell me to, but I just _know_ this is what I’m supposed to be doing." 

Iroh chuckled, "You do not need to justify yourself to me, Zuko. I believe you. In fact, I believe you should listen. If dragons from the Spirit World are telling you it is your destiny to find the avatar, well, that is not something you should ignore." 

Zuko's brows furrowed, "The Spirit World?"

Iroh patted his shoulder, "Yes, I believe so."

Zuko folded his arms, eyes boring into the deck of the ship. Iroh sighed, "It is very late. Perhaps it is time to sleep now."

Zuko's brows furrowed plaintively, "We need to begin searching for the avatar as soon as possible. We don’t have any time to waste."

His father smiled kindly, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Even the Pygmy puma knows it is important to rest before a long hard fight."

Zuko nodded, eyes softening with hopeless fondness at the proverb, as he obediently followed Iroh.

He did not dream that night. 


End file.
